Launch of a space shuttle
Space has always attracted a lot of attention with its representations in films, video games, books, and through these representations we have dreamed of exploring space or even living there.
The idea of sending objects and people into space was made years before it became physically possible because it was a matter of imagination to be able to go beyond our planet and it was made by science fiction writers.
In this picture taken by Neil Armstrong, astronaut Edwin Aldrin walks on the moon near the space module on 20 July 1969
Towards the end of the 20th century, the dream of going into space was no longer a dream, but became a reality, thanks to the growth in the improvement of materials for the creation of rockets and means of propulsion, which made it possible to carry out missions in space.
Space exploration includes all actions carried out in space and consists of the physical exploration of space. The colonisation of space could appear as a very long-term result of these explorations. Space exploration has mainly scientific but also economic or military objectives.
Scientific exploration consists of the study of the earth system, the study of the climate, the atmosphere, the oceans etc... Studying the solar system and astronomy, the planets, stars etc.
On the economic side, it would be in the fields of telecommunications, imaging etc.
On the military side, military activity is prohibited in space but it is used in other ways such as radar reconnaissance and terrain vision via satellites, early warning of certain dangers and interception of communications.
The first space flight in history is an orbital space flight launched by the Soviet Union, the Soviet Sputnik 1 satellite was launched on 4 October 1957, the first satellite object sent into space.
Then on 3 November 1957, we have the first living being to have gone into space or more precisely the first living animal to have gone into space, it is the Russian dog Laïka, but unfortunately she dies after a few hours on board Sputnik 2 and the first living being to die in space but she will have achieved the first orbit in space.
The first space flight in history, where we have a Human inside is launched by the Soviet Union on April 12, 1961, it will be with the Soviet Yuri Gagarin for an orbital flight during the Vostok 1 mission.
The first space flight farthest from Earth launched by the United States on 21 July 1969 was the Apollo 11 mission, carried out by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, and on this mission it was man's first steps on the Moon.
These are the 4 most important events to remember when talking about space exploration because we have the first object, the first living being, the first human and the first humans to have done the first exploits in space exploration.
A space shuttle
I have always been attracted to space exploration, especially in films and video games. I've always found it amazing that maybe one day we'll be doing the same thing as the movie and video game scenarios. Exploring the universe to find all sorts of things and even finding life outside our planet is the most amazing thing about space exploration.